iPadOS Identified as Digital 'Gatekeeper' Under New EU Tech Rules

[MacRumors]

EU antitrust officials on Monday identified iPadOS, Apple's operating system for iPads, as a significant digital gatekeeper under the EU's new tech regulations, which carry strict requirements that aim to promote fair competition and expand options for consumers.

Last September, the Commission designated Apple as a gatekeeper for its iOS iPhone operating system, its web browser Safari, and its App Store. On the same day, the Commission opened a market investigation to assess whether iPadOS constitutes an important gateway for business users to reach end users in order to assess whether should be designated as a gatekeeper.

That investigation has now ended. According to an EC press release shared on Monday, the Commission's investigation found that Apple "presents the features of a gatekeeper in relation to iPadOS," for the following reasons:

• Apple's business user numbers exceeded the quantitative threshold elevenfold, while its end user numbers were close to the threshold and are predicted to rise in the near future.
• End users are locked-in to iPadOS. Apple leverages its large ecosystem to disincentivise end users from switching to other operating systems for tablets.
• Business users are locked-in to iPadOS because of its large and commercially attractive user base, and its importance for certain use cases, such as gaming apps.

The Commission has now given Apple a six-month deadline to fully comply with the obligations set by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which means we should expect enforced changes in iOS like alternative app marketplaces, web distribution, and alternative browsers to come to iPadOS as well in a forthcoming update.

"The Digital Markets Act is a dynamic tool which allows us to tackle the realities of digital markets," said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy. "Today, we have brought Apple's iPadOS within the scope of the DMA obligations. Our market investigation showed that despite not meeting the thresholds, iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers. Today's decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved also on this platform, in addition to the 22 other services we designated last September. Apple has six months to make iPadOS compliant with the DMA."

To be classified as a "gatekeeper" under the DMA, a company must fulfill certain criteria, including having sales across the EU of at least €7.5 billion, or a market capitalization of €75 billion or above. The designation also requires platforms or services to have more than 45 million monthly active users and over 10,000 active business users annually within the EU.

Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft were all designated gatekeepers by the Commission, and had to fully comply with all DMA obligations by March 7.

Companies that do not adhere to the new regulations risk facing EU investigations, substantial fines, and the imposition of "behavioral or structural remedies." The fines can amount to 10 percent of a company's global revenue, with a 20 percent penalty for repeat violations.

Article Link: iPadOS Identified as Digital 'Gatekeeper' Under New EU Tech Rules

 

[truthsteve]

lmao just keep changing the rules. yeah sure lets see how this plays out

may as well design your own device, eu

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

Mac OS on future iPads?

 

[Sophisticatednut]

lmao just keep changing the rules. yeah sure lets see how this plays out

The rules hasn’t changed. Apple filed In information that showed that the iPad likely wasn’t a gatekeeper, EU made an investigation just how they investigated Samsung.

Samsung was shown not to be a gatekeeper but iPad is shown to be a gatekeeper. Simple as that.

 

[TimFL1]

lmao just keep changing the rules. yeah sure lets see how this plays out

Anyone with an IQ of 75+ saw this coming (even Apple). Apple is just playing the long con, trying to milk as much out of their platforms as possible before they need to fully comply with the DMA.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

Was always gonna follow after iOS

 

[RealJerzy]

I feel like I have no power in EU. Who am I supposed to vote for to not have this **** happen?

 

[okänd]

Surprised this was ever handled separately to begin with. Naming aside iOS and iPadOS are effectively the same.

 

[racer1441]

I’m pretty sick of Europe taking a leak in my corn flakes.

 

[Abazigal]

Anyone with an IQ of 75+ saw this coming (even Apple). Apple is just playing the long con, trying to milk as much out of their platforms as possible before they need to fully comply with the DMA.

Or maybe before they decide to just pull out of the EU altogether.

 

[DFZD]

EU also needs to come down hard on Freemium & Subscription Software. Also gut out Micro-transactions while they are at it.

 

[mihighil]

Or maybe before they decide to just pull out of the EU altogether.

Im sure that will go well with the shareholders.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

Or maybe before they decide to just pull out of the EU altogether.

That will never happen thou

 

[deevey]

The rules hasn’t changed. Apple filed In information that showed that the iPad likely wasn’t a gatekeeper, EU made an investigation just how they investigated Samsung.

Samsung was shown not to be a gatekeeper but iPad is shown to be a gatekeeper. Simple as that.

On the same day, the Commission opened a market investigation to assess whether Apple's iPadOS, despite not meeting the quantitative thresholds laid down in the DMA

The rule HAS changed or the rules are selective. Which one is it?

 

[AlexESP]

Anyone with an IQ of 75+ saw this coming (even Apple). Apple is just playing the long con, trying to milk as much out of their platforms as possible before they need to fully comply with the DMA.

What you call “milking” is basically protecting a platform millions of people like, against the wishes of a handful of people who don’t like it. Obviously, since so many people like it, they get some big revenue from it.

 

[incidentallycheckout]

Makes sense considering iOS and iPadOS are so similar. If one was going to be against the rules, odds are both would be. I’m sure Apple saw this coming.

 

[DFZD]

What you call “milking” is basically protecting a platform millions of people like, against the wishes of a handful of people who don’t like it. Obviously, since so many people like it, they get some big revenue from it.

Protecting from what? For 17 years Apple has dictated on over a billion users that they can only install apps that Apple approves. That's not protecting, that's gatekeeping, and it is just criminal considering no other major Mobile or Desktop OS does that.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

Protecting from what? For 17 years Apple has dictated on over a billion users that they can only install apps that Apple approves. That's not protecting, that's gatekeeping, and it is just criminal considering no other major Mobile or Desktop OS does that.

It’s your device should always be your choice what you install on it

 

[Zest28]

On the same day, the Commission opened a market investigation to assess whether Apple's iPadOS, despite not meeting the quantitative thresholds laid down in the DMA

The rule HAS changed or the rules are selective. Which one is it?

Apple should just have put Android on the iPhone in EU as I have said all this time.

I predicted that Apple would open themselves for more crap with their approach.

 

[Seanm87]

This is actually a good thing for the ipad

 

[Lihp8270]

I feel like I have no power in EU. Who am I supposed to vote for to not have this **** happen?

Vote for your MEP who will represent your views. You’re representatives in European Parliament are elected.

 

[jake.au]

EU is a gatekeeper! Why can't Peru, Madagascar, Alderaan or Fiji join the EU! Please apologise and fine yourself immediately!

 

[ThailandToo]

This is great news for EU iPad users. Can’t wait until the rest of the world catches up. And anyone who wants to only run Apple App Store apps and etc can keep doing it! But the rest of the world should be able to do what they want with devices they paid dearly for - we pay just as much if not more than for a MacBook that will run circles around the iPad due to iPadOS being run by an anticompetitive business model limiting software. And for those who want you can still use your finger for all your input! I will use MacOS or Windows if Apple doesn’t make MacOS available! And run any app I want.

 

[Etc_]

I am sure Apple anticipated this and they already developed iPadOS 18 with this in mind. They have 6 months from now on, which is perfect for the iPadOS 18 release. I even think they could implement these changes within a month, but it is Apple of course they'll wait till the last day.

 

[Retskrad]

Apple has crippled iPadOS and consumers need the EU to force Apple to make moves that actually benefits the consumer. The fact that the real Chrome browser is not allowed on the iPad means the iPad as a web browsing machine is literally worse than a cheap Chromebook. Most developers put the majority of their effort to optimising their apps for the web and the best extensions are made for Chrome on desktop.

Safari is just a piece of junk. The only reason it has any marketshare at all on iOS and iPadOS is because Apple is being anticompetitive and doesn't have to compete with Google. When they do have to compete on MacOS, guess what. People are voting and the vast majority like and chose to install Chrome. Apple users claim Chrome users don't know any better and Safari is so much better but that's the argument Android and Windows users like to make about Apple users in general so that argument is moot.